Petunia plant named ‘Petbluve’

ABSTRACT

A new  Petunia  plant particularly distinguished by its trailing, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit, freely branching habit, freely flowering habit, single flowers that are light blue with dark veins in color, and good garden performance.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Petunia hybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘Petbluve’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant botanically known as Petunia hybrida and referred to by the cultivar name ‘Petbluve.’

The new Petunia is the product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Petunia cultivar is freely flowering with trailing and spreading plant habit and attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the inventor in July 2001 of the Petunia hybrida variety ‘Petwiblvgr’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,260) as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida identified as code number ‘B4171,’ not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Petunia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlands in May 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings since August 2002, in Enkhuizen, Netherlands has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Petbluve’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Petbluve.’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Petbluve’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Trailing, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit     -   2. Freely branching habit     -   3. Freely flowering habit     -   4. Single flowers that are light blue with dark veins     -   5. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristic:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are earlier in flowering whereas         plants of the female parent selection are later.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristic:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia have medium size flowers whereas         flowers of the male parent selection are smaller.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW CULTIVAR ‘PETBLUVE’ AND A SIMILAR CULTIVAR Surfinia Blue Vein ‘Petbluve’ ‘Sunsolos’ (Not patented) Flower color More blue 85A More white 85D Flower vein color Lighter purple 83A Darker purple 86A, more pronounced Plant habit More mounding More trailing

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The observations and measurements describe plants grown in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands, practice circumstances outdoor in window boxes during the Summer with day temperatures ranging from 14 to 30° C., night temperatures ranging from 10 to 20° C. Plants used for the photographs and description were about 10 weeks from planting rooted cuttings.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   The plant:     -   -   Classification.—Botanical: Petunia hybrida. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Petunia hybrida variety ‘Petwiblvgr’. U.S.             Plant Pat. No. 17,260.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida             identified as code number ‘B4171,’ not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer and winter: About 12 days at             20° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 21 days at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 28 days at 16° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially             upright, then trailing and outwardly spreading, uniformly             mounded plant form. Freely branching habit; about six to             eight basal branches each with about six to eight lateral             branches. Pinching enhances development of lateral branches.         -   Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio             containers, and landscapes applications.         -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 70 cm.         -   Vigour.—Vigorous; rapid growth rate.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 3-4 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             146B (with some anthocyanin).         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate before             flowering; opposite after flowers develop; simple. Length:             About 2.4 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Broadly             acute. Base: Broadly Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent; glandular.             Venation Pattern: Pinnate. Color Developing and fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: 137B. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, lower             surface: 146C. Petiole length: About 4 mm. Petiole diameter:             About 2 mm. Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 146C.             Petiole texture: Sparsely pubescent. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers             face mostly outward; axillary. Freely flowering habit, about             four open flowers and about three flower buds per lateral             branch at a time.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; long             flowering period, spring until frost in the autumn;             flowering continuous during this period. Plants start             flowering about eight weeks after planting rooted cuttings.             Flowers persistent.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven to ten days.         -   Fragrance.—Faint, sweet.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Tube length: About             2.8 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 8 mm. Tube             diameter, proximal end: About 2,5 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm.             Shape: Elongated oblong with ruffled apices. Color, basal             part: 145A.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: About five petals fused in a             single whorl, funnel form. Length from throat: About 2.8 cm.             Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Funnel shaped. Apex: Broadly             acute. Margin: Entire, undulate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color When opening, upper             surface: 85A, venation 83A. When opening, lower surface:             85B, venation 183B. Fully opened, upper surface: 85A,             venation 83A. Fully opened, lower surface: 85A, venation             183A. Flower throat (inside): N92A. Flower tube (outside):             79A. Venation, throat: N92A. Venation, tube: 79A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: 146A. Color, lower surface: 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Angle:             About 45 to 60° C. from the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 146B with some anthocyanin.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens, quantity per flower: About             five. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther size: About 1.8 mm by             2.3 mm. Anther color: 83b. Pollen amount: Much. Pollen             color: 85B. Pistils, quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 2.1 cm. Style length: About 1.9 cm. Style             color: 150C. Stigma shape: Anvil-shaped. Stigma color: 147A.             Ovary color: N144C. -   Seed development: Seed development has not been observed to date. -   Disease and pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to     have good garden performance. Plants of the new Petunia have been     noted to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures from 0 to 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct variety of Petunia plant, substantially as illustrated and described herein. 